Cinna's Story
by fayola7
Summary: Find out about Cinna's life before he became a designer in the Capitol. Find out about his family and his tragic past. Here you will find out why Cinna decided to join the Mockingjay's cause.


I zipped up her dress. It was a pale blue, backless, silk dress which flowed like a waterfall down to the floor. The dress should've suited her, she was a young, beautiful slender woman. However, the steely glint in her eyes was not the look of a young girl, it was the look of a warrior-a dictator. To match her vicious, amber-coloured eyes I painted thick, winged eyeliner and smoky eyeshadow, like fire emerging from the ashes.

I stood back to admire my work. We studied each other, both with an equal amount of distrust. I spoke first.

"I suppose I couldn't possibly do anything to persuade you that going through with this will be the death of this District."

"No you couldn't, so I suggest you stop trying." Alma replied stubbornly.

"I don't know why I bother." I sighed.

"Neither do I." she said.

"You honestly think we stand a chance against the weapons of the Capitol? They possess more money and weaponry than all of the District combined. I understand that we cannot go on living like this and that war is unavoidable. However, we must bide our time, we are no match for the Capitol- you are no match for President Snow."

Alma's eyes flared with fire and fury. "Firstly, we cannot keep waiting enough is enough. Secondly, we supply the Capitol with their weapons which makes us stronger than them seeing as their supply of war craft has been cut off. Thirdly, I am not the leader of this District therefore you shall not compare me to President Snow. And Fourthly, when I do become the leader of District 13, President Snow and all of the Capitol will tremble at the sound of my name- President Alma Coin."

She swept out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. I shook my head. Here was a girl who thought she was a woman, a leader, fighting for a good cause- yet she was blinded by power and one day she will make the same mistake Cornelius Snow made.

I left my stylists studio and met with Dahlia in the dining hall along with the rest of the District who had come to see the announcement. I smiled when I saw her baby bump, it was due so very soon. My smiling eyes clouded when I remembered the horrific world I was bringing this innocent child into.

I sat down beside Dahlia, she locked her chocolate brown eyes on mine and knew that I had failed. Understanding, she hugged me and I pressed my face into her frizzy curls. At that moment the hologram appeared along with the Capitol's anthem. Alma and the leader of District 13 became visible. He rarely made speeches or made public appearances- that was left to Alma, which added to the rumour that she had a plot to overthrow him. Even here Alma overpowered him.

"The Capitol have robbed us of our wealth, our food and our supplies. We work long, strenuous hours to provide for the Capitol and receive nothing in return. This society is unfair; this system is unjust. We deserve equality, we deserve recognition. We will no longer be forced to work, punished for arguing and have our life's work robbed from us. President Snow is a snake and a thief." Alma Coin was a fireball of rage as she delivered her speech.

"We shall not stand it anymore so now we insist you stand up with us as we stand against the Capitol. Today, I, as leader of District 13, announce that we are at war with the Capitol." A war cry like the roar of rampaging beasts sounded from the crowd. I did not join them. I wasn't a traitor or a Capitol supporter, but I wasn't an idiot either- we had no chance.

The next week was a blur. Soldiers were sent off to the outskirts of the Capitol. Alma was extremely busy travelling to all the other districts making speeches and encouraging people to join our cause, meaning I needed to create more outfits. I was too busy to keep updated on all the news of what was going on in the Capitol, however, it was evident that we were losing from the beginning.

When we arrived back at District 13 my wife was heavily pregnant so I was excused from my duties- a relief for both of us seeing as neither me nor Alma enjoyed the company of the other.

It was twelve o'clock when it began. The first alarm sounded, like the scream of a dying bird. It was at that moment when I was certain that we were doomed. The swarm of people cascaded down the steps, crushing each other in order to get to the barracks before the doors closed. Screams and wails echoed around in the blinding darkness.

I was trapped in the flow yet I fought my way through the tsunami of people to reach Dahlia. She spent her days out in the forest – she had never liked living underground and it made her especially irritable since being pregnant. Even as I stumbled blindly through the pitch black, I knew that my attempt would be useless. The alarm was intended to sound ten minutes before the attack was expected to arrive which was when the doors to the barracks shut. I would never find Dahlia and then get back to the barracks in ten minutes especially since Dahlia was heavily pregnant. However, I continued anyway, maybe death would be better than life after this war. I could never, I _would_ never abandon Dahlia or our baby.

Just when I thought my trembling legs would buckle after sprinting up the millions of steps, I reached the surface. Out in the open air the only thing I could hear was the pounding of my racing heart and the gentle hum of the hovercrafts coming nearer and nearer…

"Cinna!" Dahlia cried waddling towards me. Tears streamed down face and fear blazed in her eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm here. You're safe. You're going to be fine." I wrapped my arms around her and held her close knowing that it may well be the last time I ever did.

"What are we going to do? We'll never make it back in time. Cinna what about the baby?"

"We have to run Dahlia. If we turn back, we will surely die. If we somehow survived, we would be killed, Alma doesn't deal nicely with people who prove her wrong. We have to run Dahlia; we have to run."

I gripped her hand and without looking back at the home that wasn't mine, I ran. Into the forest that had never been explored, into my future. That night I ran for my life and the life of my family.

We felt the impact even from where we were. I saw the sky be torn apart and be filled with fire and smoke. The ground shook like an earthquake. The whistle of every bomb had me begging any God that that bomb would not be the one to end our lives. Despite our world being shredded apart behind us, we never once stopped. At some points I dragged Dahlia and at some I carried her but she never gave up, she never stopped fighting.

When the sounds of piercing screams, blasting bombs and thunderous gunshots faded away and the sky had returned to a tranquil inky black, Dahlia released cry.

Abruptly, she halted in her tracks, holding her stomach. Through the shadows I could just about spot a pool of water forming by her feet. A fresh coat of icy fear washed over me, it could've happened any time but, why now? Sweat dripped from my brow, so thick it could've been blood; and my heart raced like a horse galloping in my chest- yet I had to stay strong, stay calm, for Dahlia.

Immediately, I set to work. Beside where we stood there was a Rue bush, I pulled up its roots and designed a bed for Dahlia. She groaned as I helped her lay down but I gently hushed her. Next, I found a short stick for her to bite down, we couldn't afford to be discovered now due to the shrill screams of a mother giving birth. Dahlia was already breathing heavily, veins bulged from her forehead and her dark skin had turned pale with the effort. She grabbed my hand as if she would never let go and before I put the stick between her teeth she whispered hoarsely, "Sing for me."

So there in the heart of an endless forest amidst the twinkling stars and the ghostly trees, I sang:

" _Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

 _A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

 _Lay down your head, and close your eyes_

 _And when they open, the sun will rise."_

" _Here it's safe and here it's warm_

 _Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

 _Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

 _Here is the place where I love you."_

" _Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

 _A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray_

 _Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_

 _When again it's morning, they'll wash away."_

" _Here it's safe and here it's warm_

 _And here the daisies guard you from every harm_

 _And here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

 _Here is the place where I love you._

 _Here is the place where I love you."_

All the while, as I sang, Dahlia was pushing with all her might. She squeezed my hand with every push and gnawed away at the stick. As the head began to emerge I pried Dahlia's fingers off mine and tenderly aided my child out from peace and into hell.

Just when Dahlia thought she had nothing left to give, the baby was out. I held the miracle child that I had delivered, cradled her in my blood drenched arms, and forgot about the horror we had left behind and the horror we were going towards. Time stood still.

Dahlia removed the stick and released a sigh of relief. She was drenched in buckets of sweat and panting like a dog but she was happy.

"What shall we name her?" Dahlia asked.

"You delivered her, you should decide." I answered.

"But without you, this Golden child would be buried underground in District 13. You name her."

I glanced at the rue bush that cushioned my wife and my daughter, "Okay," I gave in reluctantly, "What about Rue?"

"Yes, Rue" Dahlia smiled and stared lovingly at her daughter, "The golden child."

It broke my heart to destroy this special moment but I knew that we had to keep going.

"Are you strong enough to keep walking?" I asked. She gulped and the joy in her eyes flickered for a split second, but she gave a weak nod and smile. I offered her my hand and we continued to walk at a more leisurely pace through the forest of dreams and nightmares.

The sky was candy-floss pink, fiery orange and buttercup yellow when the sun began to rise. One day I would design a dress with those colours for my daughter that would be the envy of every girl in Panem-including Alma. As the breath-taking light of dawn illuminated the world, I realised that we had stumbled upon an orchard. That was when I also realised that I was starving. I picked an apple off a tree and ate it- nothing had ever tasted so delicious. I handed one to my wife then mashed some together with my hands to feed to Rue. We feasted on apples and relished in their glorious taste. An entire night of running had left us famished and utterly exhausted so we lay down and slept with the apple trees as our guards.

I woke to the sound of screams. My eyes snapped open and I beheld Dahlia being arrested, a Peacekeeper had her arms locked in an unmoving grasp and he had her head yanked back. Ruby red blood dribbled from her mouth as she attacked him, struggling to get to her baby. Rue was wailing in the arms of a female Peacekeeper. As I took in this horrific scene, I didn't see the third Peacekeeper prowling towards me until it was too late. He pounced, beating me bloody. Black and red spots blurred my vision, I thought I heard Dahlia cry out something but it wasn't clear, it sounded like everything was underwater. I thought I was drowning. Everything went dark.

"Get up!" roared a voice. My head was pounding but I was too feeble to resist the forceful shoves of the person that the voice belonged to. When my blurred vision came into focus, I witnessed Dahlia kneeling on the ground quietly sobbing cradling Rue in her arms. Two Peacekeepers stood over her, one gun directed at her head and one at Rue.

I limped over to where they knelt and was then forced to my knees. The Peacekeeper who had beaten me spoke, "What do you think you're doing? Stealing from the orchards of District 11 is a criminal offence! We should shoot you right now." He snarled, spittle flying from his mouth.

"Go on then, only a coward would shoot an unarmed man, an innocent woman and her baby." Dahlia cried defiantly.

The Peacekeeper came so close to Dahlia; she could smell his foul breath. "Are you calling me a coward pretty lady?" he grinned, revealing a set of rotten teeth, his voice almost a whisper.

Dahlia glared straight into his heartless, ice-blue eyes and spat.

It all happened too quickly. The man's grin distorted into a glower. He whipped out his gun and shot her. He shot Dahlia. My wife. The mother of my child. The woman I had loved for so many years. My friend. My rock. Dead. Just like that.

I thought my world had been shredded apart. I didn't have time to weep or scream. She was murdered before my eyes and I had done nothing. Shock, horror then despair. My vision went blurred again, but I couldn't pass out-what would happen to Rue?

Suddenly a boy with dark skin, rippling muscles and broad shoulders marched into the orchard of hell like an angel.

"What is going on here?" he demanded.

"This is Peacekeeper business, stay out of it." The murderer ordered.

Abruptly, I dragged myself out of this living nightmare. "What is your name son?"

"Thresh."

"Thresh, can you do me a favour?" he nodded, "These Peacekeepers just murdered my wife. Can you please take my day old baby daughter Rue and find a loving family for her? When she is old enough. Tell her of her courageous mother and father who sacrificed themselves for her and escaped from District 13 for her. Can you do that?"

His scowl melted into a look of awe and sorrow. He knelt before me and said, "I will sir, you are a hero and sometimes the hero needs saving too. Your daughter will never forget this."

He scooped up Rue and with a nod he ran off.

The Peacekeepers had a look of outrage written across their faces yet they did nothing, not even they could kill an innocent boy with a baby.

"We should kill you, cut you into bits and tear you limb from limb after defying us in front of our eyes."

"I offer myself instead. I was the best designer in all of District 13. I worked personally with President Coin. I can inform your President of all of her weaknesses and design his outfits. Fashion is very big in the Capitol. Why waste this opportunity? What would your President say?"

The murderer looked unconvinced but the others looked eager. So that was the moment they let the man who's home had been destroyed, whose wife had been murdered and whose daughter had been taken from him thanks to the Capitol- into the Capitol. Big mistake.


End file.
